Cody Christman - Beerdrinker of the Year

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About Me

Cody Christman is the 2009 Beerdrinker of the Year, and a Fränkische Ehrenbiertrinker. He has traveled to 23 countries on four continents in search of beer history and culture. Cody has been brewing award winning beers since 1990, and enjoys sharing knowledge and stories relating to the elixir of life.

Sunday, October 2, 2016

The Beerdrinker of the Year National Finals are finally back! This Wednesday (October 5th, 2016) at 7:00 pm in the Wynkoop's Mercantile Room, an 18th member will be added to this elite club.Here is a brief bio of the three finalists:

Mike Dixon, a Wake Forest, North Carolina beer lover, homebrewer, National BJCP judge, and beer writer. Mike has enjoyed beers from 46 states and 44 countries and has visited well over 1,000 beer establishments in the US, Belgium, and Ireland. His extensive volunteer beer work includes working to successfully change his state’s beer laws and promoting North Carolina’s homebrewing and beer culture. He is a six-time semifinalist, this will be his second time in the Beer Drinker finals. His beer philosophy: “A well crafted beer is the perfect accompaniment to any meal or event. Life is too short to be wasted on beer without flavor and every glass of beer should be a new adventure. Every day I am working to improve my beer knowledge and to find new beer experiences.” His home beer bar: Clouds Brewing, Raleigh, NC

Shawna Cormier. Upon her first sip of Bud from her grandmother's can as a young lass of 4, Shawna began bouncing from brew to brew, in search of the fermented

fountain of yum. Having just moved from New York City, Shawna has been an actress, an educator, a writer, a service industry work horse, and now a Certified Cicerone® working at Black Shirt Brewing Co. Oh, she also delivered teeth once. Long story. Beer drinking philosophy: "Have you ever thought, 'Geez, I wish there wasn't beer here.' That's what I thought. Beer here now. Drinking beer is exploration into a magical world full of infinite possibilities. Plus, it's freaking delicious. Wild and spontaneous, controlled and contained, perfected and classic—a beer can be so many different things. It's easily accessible, yet contains a world of possibilities. A sip of a stellar brew can be a glimpse into the world of another person, a way of tasting the earth, and creating experiences we will never forget. Whether it be the perfect pour of a resiny Double IPA, a trip to Cantillon, or the chugging of the coldest beer possible, beer is a good thing. Damn good thing there's beer." Home beer bar: Black Shirt Brewing, Denver, CO

Kevin Cox, a Muncie, Indiana beer hunter, homebrewer and beer advocate. Cox has visited over 400 breweries, tasted over 6000 different beers and “stalked the perfect pint” on 4 continents and in 12 countries. In 2012 he drank beer at numerous beer festivals in the US, Belgium, England and Germany. He’s been a member of the American Homebrewers Association since 1983 and a member of Britain’s Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) since 1985. His philosophy of beer drinking: “Beer is my passion, it’s a religion. I like to think of it as my beer ministry, teaching the virtues of good beer and safe drinking.” His home beer bar: Broad Ripple Brewpub, Indianapolis, IN

The winner will receive national bragging rights, a beer brewed in their honor by the Wynkoop (of their selection), and free beer for life at the Wynkoop Brewery!You may want to arrive early to get a good seat. The event is free including snacks and beers samples between 7:00 and 7:45 pm. There is more information at the Eventbrite site:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beer-drinker-of-the-year-2016-tickets-28225939545

Note - you do not need to register for the event at this site - you can just show up. But if you do register on Eventbrite you will be in a drawing for gifts and prizes.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

The Beerdrinker of the Year competition is back!It took two years to recover from Marty
Jones’ departure for the Wynkoop to regroup and rebrand, but the event is
thankfully back on track.

The
format of the finals is largely the same, and so are the prizes; national
recognition and bragging rights, a beer brewed in the winner’s honor, and free
beer for life at Denver’s oldest brewpub - the Wynkoop.

Welcome
Back Party

Right before the GABF kickoff in September, the Wynkoop hosted a nice welcome back
party for previous BDOY winners.Beer legends Warren Monteiro (2013), J. Wilson (2012), Phil Farrell
(2011), Tom Ciccateri (2005), Ray McCoy (2003), Gary Steinel (2002), and Cornelia
Corey (2001) were in attendance. (Yes, I made it too...) It was a great reunion with plenty of Koop-GABF speciality beers on tap, as well as some friendly beer-related challenges to pit the former winners against each other.

The reunion officially kicked off the PR campaign and search for the 2016 Beerdrinker
of the year. (I've posted the official press release below for your reference.)Now the question is, are you ready to
throw your hat in the ring for the 2016 title?

The
prizes will be the same as years past, but there is a new twist to the application process.In addition to a written essay (“beer
resume”) free-beer-for-life-seekers can also submit a two-minute video
application. Either option will suffice. There are samples on
the web site if you want to see how the video works.

Apply Now

With that said, time is running out. Here are some key dates
to remember:

Applications are due by 12 am on February 1st, 2016. (Since the general beer-public can vote on the submissions, the sooner you apply the better. Voting will only be one criteria used to pick the three finalists, but it never hurts to have a strong following.)

The Finals will be held on Saturday, April 2nd at the Wynkoop Brewery. This is where the three finalists will be flown to Denver and a new winner will be crowned.

If you
love beer, and I know you do, I encourage you to give it a shot!I did and it has served me well.

Wynkoop Brewing Co. announces return of
Beer Drinker of the Year competition
2016 marks the contest’s 18th year
DENVER — Oct. 16, 2015 — Wynkoop Brewing Co. has the craft beer community
buzzing over its announcement that the Beer Drinker of the Year competition is
returning in 2016. After taking a break for the last two years, the popular national
contest is back and better than ever.
The Beer Drinker of the Year is not only someone who enjoys, appreciates (and
drinks) beer, but knows a great deal about beer, how it's made, its legend and
lore and can demonstrate the range and depth of their beeriness.
So let the search for America’s most passionate beer drinker begin. Beer fanatics
have until midnight on January 31, 2016 to enter their submissions to vie for prizes
like free beer for life at Wynkoop Brewing Co., the chance to work with
Wynkoop’s head brewer to have their beer recipe brewed at Colorado’s oldest
brewpub, and the serious bragging rights that accompany the “Beer Drinker of
the Year 2016” title.
To enter the contest, beer enthusiasts are asked to upload a two-minute video (or written essay/beer-resume) describing why they should be crowned the Beer Drinker of the Year. Videos will
be judged based on entrants’ creativity, expressed knowledge of craft beer
history, and demonstration of how they live and breathe beer culture.
Applicants shouldn’t wait until the last minute to enter their submissions, though.
Video votes will count toward the review and consideration of this year’s
submissions, so entrants are encouraged to share their videos on social media
using hashtag #BDOY2016 to gain votes.
The video submissions and public voting are a departure from prior years’ written
entry contest format. The competition, which started in 1997 and took a break
between 2013-2015 for a rebrand, has experienced growing national recognition
as one of the country’s top beer competitions.

“We are thrilled to bring back our beloved Beer Drinker of the Year competition
in its new form this year,” says Breckenridge-Wynkoop Vice President of
Marketing Brooke Salazar. “The contest is intended to give the nation’s biggest
beer enthusiasts a platform to showcase their knowledge and passion for beer.
By incorporating a social aspect to the competition through video submissions
and public voting, we hope our participants will get creative, have fun and tell all
of their friends why they should be the 2016 Beer Drinker of the Year!”
The Beer Drinker of the Year 2016 contest is open to U.S. residents ages 21 and
older who are available to fly to Denver for the National Finals Feb. 26-28, 2016.
Travel expenses will be paid for the top three finalists, who will be announced by
the Wynkoop Brewing Co. judging panel by Feb. 1, 2016. The 2016 Beer Drinker
of the Year will be crowned at the National Finals event on Feb. 27, 2016, which
will be open to the public to attend.
Past Beer Drinker of the Year Cody Christman encourages other beer lovers to
apply. “Winning Beer Drinker of the Year was a huge honor,“ he says. “It’s a
chance to see what you know and go up against the best at the most prestigious
beer competition in the nation with the biggest prize of all (free beer!) at
Colorado’s first brewpub. Who wouldn’t want that?”
Visit www.wynkoopbdoy.com for more information or to submit an entry.
About Wynkoop Brewing Co:
Wynkoop is Colorado’s O.G. Brewpub, home to tastemakers and rulebreakers,
bushwhackers and envelope pushers. For almost three decades we’ve been
brewing handcrafted beer in our modest basement brewery underneath
Denver’s largest pool hall. Over the years our neighborhood has transformed
and Colorado’s craft beer industry has exploded. And Wynkoop is still here,
serving cold beer to warm friends. Media Contact:Lizzie Sneed dfine Branding 720.328.6971 lizzie@dfinebranding.com

Friday, February 13, 2015

I wanted to fill you in on the BDOTY event that has been on hiatus since the 2013 National Finals. We'll I have good news, it is coming back! See the message below that I sent to friends on an email list I run.

Kooplisters,

I've got some good news and wanted to give an update about the Wynkoop. (Sorry Jim - no they are not bringing the Lamb Sliders back. Not yet anyway!)

Yesterday I met with Lee Driscoll (Wynkoop-Breckenridge CEO), their Director of Corporate Events, the Koop GM, the Head Brewer, and two of their beer sales directors. We met to discuss the Beerdrinker of the Year event, which is going to come back.

Here is the tentative plan. As you know there has been quite a bit of investment over the past year. (bathrooms, etc.) The Koop has also purchased the former Comedy Works space. They are turning that room into a barrel aging storage area and private tasting room. The plan is to have that room open in time for the GABF.

The plan is to have a "former BDOTY winner reception" on the Wednesday night of GABF weekend in conjunction with a grand opening of that barrel room. This event will re-launch the Beerdrinker of the Year event. There will be PR, buzz generation, etc. It will also kick off the calling for BDOTY resumes.

Then the BDOTY National Finals event will be back on track for 2016. Tentatively scheduled for the Saturday after Presidents' Day next year - February 20th 2016.

So things can change, and nothing is done until it is done, but this is great news. And as the event dates approach I would appreciate your help in promoting these event. (You've always been great at that in the past - thanks!) That will help in maintaining a long term commitment for cool events like this one!

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

Last summer I received a letter from Frontier Airlines warning that our frequent flier miles were about to expire. Since Frontier pulled out of Billings we have had little reason to use them anymore. But Joycelyn had an idea to put our miles to use and take a long weekend trip to Santa Barbara California. For years we've talked about visiting her cousin and his wife there, so this was a perfect opportunity to take a quick trip to see family and visit some new breweries.

Firestone Walker Brewing

Whenever I travel to a new location I do some searching for breweries in the area. I knew the Firestone Walker Brewing Company was based in southern California, but did not realize how close they were to Santa Barbara.

I first discovered Firestone Walker beers on a trip to Northern California about six years ago. Since that time their bottles have become readily available in Colorado. I really enjoy this brewery because their staples are excellent examples of traditional British Ales.

Firestone Walker was founded in 1996 and has grown rapidly ever since - racking up much praise along the way. Their accolades include individual & overall brewery awards from The World Beer Cup, the Brewers Association, and the GABF. It is also worth noting that Firestone Walker is very unique in their production process. They are one of only two breweries that still employ the famous Burton Union System (from Burton upon Trent north of London) - a barrel fermentation and blow off system that recirculates wort.

Santa Ynez Valley

A short drive from Santa Barbara is the town of Buellton where the Firestone Walker Brewery is located. (They also have a facility in Paso Robles) To get there follow highway 154 and climb north out of Santa Barbara up into the mountains. You will ultimately drop into the picturesque Santa Ynez Valley.

The unique geography of Santa Ynez is created by the only significant stretch of east-west Pacific Ocean coastline between Alaska and Mexico. This anomaly contributes to the valley's Mediterranean climate. The rolling hills, orchards, flora and even soil reminded me of the Tuscany region of Italy.

There are a number of quaint villages in the valley. After you pass the boutique wine tasting rooms in Los Olivos stop in the beautiful Danish community of Solvang and grab a plate of Aebleskiver. There you can also visit the historic Santa Ines Mission. But you will eventually make your way to Buellton for a visit of the Firestone Walker Brewery. The movie Sideways popularized this area for wine lovers, now the rapid rise of FW is doing the same for beer.

The Barrelworks

Firestone Walker's brewery is a large building right off of Highway 101. You can't miss it. The facility serves as both a brewery and a restaurant. When we arrived the place was buzzing with families out for an early evening dinner. There were numerous kids running around. This is an ideal spot for locals to sit down with some good food and enjoy fresh, craft beer.

But there was another section of the building walled off from the restaurant called the "Barrelworks." Having an inside tip we passed the main bar and headed right for this not-so-well-marked enclosure. The Barrelworks offers $3 three ounce samples of a number of special FW offerings. And it does so in a spectacular setting.

The quaint area is walled off from the restaurant and provides a close up view of FW's barrel storage facility. There are a number of barrels of different shapes, sizes and origins... even a large foudre. (I've seen these in wineries near Napa. Redwood?) The stainless steel bar and towering wood vessels create the perfect setting to sample some very special ales.

There were about 20 different beers on tap the day we visited. They were split into two categories: "Wild Ales" and "Strong Ales." Every beer served had spent at least one year in wood. In addition, the Barrelworks offered a few verticals allowing the drinker to see how a specific style of beer matured over one, three, or more years.

It was obvious that Firestone Walker takes a lot of pride in this bar. They had every detail covered down to extensive notes on each beer served. And the servers were all required to have Cicerone certifications.

There was one thing that surprised me. It was "happy hour" time on a Friday afternoon, and we were the only patrons in the room. I was shocked. This was a beer lover's dream come true and it was like the clientele in the restaurant didn't even know this area of the brewery existed. Buellton is a small town which may explain the lack of interest in the "beer geek" area. I thought to myself, if this place was in LoDo Denver, or Santa Barbara's Funk Zone, it would be too packed to get a seat.

Lil Opal 2014

I got the chance to sample four beers in the Barrelworks: the 2013 vintage of their American Wild Red (Agrestic), the Sucaba Barleywine, their XVI Strong Ale, and finally a 2014 Saison called Lil Opal. I'll share the tasting notes I jotted down on the Saison.

Lil Opal is a brett accented Saison aged for over a year in 75% French / 25% American oak. It weighs in at a respectable 5.9% abv. It poured a cloudy pumpkin orange with a tight off-white cap. The aroma was dominated by fresh oak with a slight pineapple tartness. The flavor was much more subtle than the nose would suggest. Lil Opal had a mild, fruity flavor with perhaps a touch of golden syrup character that propped up the body. It finished quite dry which is to be expected from any beer fermented (wholly or in part) by brettanomyces. Overall this was an excellent Farmhouse Ale with a distinct cellar character.

The other beers I sampled were equally as impressive. If you love barrel aged strong and/or sour beers, do not pass by pass this part of California without a visit to FW's Barrelworks!

Figueroa Mountain Brewery

For those that did not get their fill visiting Firestone Walker, there is another brewery in this small town. Figueroa Mountain is short drive across the 101 located in a light industrial neighborhood. They make the most of their asphalt and concrete setting. Inside, at the foot of massive fermenting vessels, they have a small bar and tasting room with about 20 beers on tap. And on nice days the beer garden outside is a great place to enjoy a sampler or couple of pints. Their beers range from lagers and Kölsch to wheat beers, and a number of ales - from Pale Ale to Brown. As the brewery moniker suggests their beers are named after local landmarks.

Figueroa Mountain also has a satellite pub in Santa Barbara's Funk Zone not far off the beach. They offer a similar selection as the brewery. Show up early if you want to get a seat however!